Description of the attraction
The Archaeological Museum of Messinia is one of the most interesting sights of the Greek city of Kalamata. This is the new archaeological museum of the city and is located in the heart of the historical center of Kalamata, on the site of the old Municipal Market.
In September 1986, as a result of two powerful earthquakes, the city of Kalamata was thoroughly destroyed, and such historical buildings as the Municipal Market and a beautiful example of Venetian architecture built in 1742 - the Benakion Archaeological Museum, which housed a unique collection of ancient artifacts of Kalamata, were also significantly damaged. Subsequently, on the site of the old Municipal Market, a building was erected, which, by decision of the city authorities, was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture specifically for the opening of a new archaeological museum in Kalamata. The Archaeological Museum of Messinia first opened its doors to visitors in 2009.
The collection of the Archaeological Museum of Messinia is vast and varied and covers a vast period of time, from prehistoric times to the Byzantine era. The exposition is built in the form of thematic blocks ("Mani and the Despotate of Morea", "The Mycenaean civilization in Triphalia", "Pylia under Venetian rule", etc.), which is quite convenient, since it gives the museum visitors an opportunity to get acquainted in more detail with the history of development cultures of each of the four historical provinces of the modern nome of Messinia - Kalamata, Pylos, Messinia and Triphalia.
The exhibits presented in the museum are artifacts found during archaeological excavations, as well as objects donated to the museum from private collections.
